Cargo-handling apparatus



june 3, 1924. ,496,570

T. s. WATsoN CARGO HANDLING APPARATUS Filed. Jan. l, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet1 FTi-G. j@

T. S. WATSON CARGO A HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. lO, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V TOR Patented June 3, 1924s x supports 13 above oradjacent the tunnelV PATENT OFFICE.

l `THOMAS S. WATSON, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

`(LARGOHANJBLING APPARATUS.

` Application led January 1D, 1923.V Serial No.56711,808.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be itknown that I, THOMAS S. VVATsoN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Milwaukeein the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cargo-HandlingApparatus, of which the following is a description,reference being hadtothe accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification; A

The invention relates to cargo-handling apparatus.

On rivers, such as'the Mississippi River and its tributaries, or otherbodies of water where flood conditions are not unusual, considerablediiiiculty hasY been experienced in unloading cargoes because of thevariance of the water level' atdiii'erent times of the year.V Thisinvention has for its object to provide yan apparatus for expeditiouslyunloading cargo boats, more particularly those carrying bulk material,operating on rivers or other bodies of water subject to the abovementioned conditions.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter setforth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Figs. 1 and 1a are complementary views, of an apparatusembodying the invention; Fig. 2 is' an enlarged detail view of a portionof the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the numeral 4 refers to the mainland adjacent the river5, and 6 to the bottom of the river. At various times the water level ofthe river changes from the low water level line 7 to the high waterlevel line 8.

A tunnel 9 is constructed along or' in the bottom of the river,extending from the mainland down to a position adjacent thek low levelline 7, the tunnel sloping generally with the bed of the river, that is,being inclined from thehighest oint to the low water level position.This tunnel may be of any suitable construction but is preferably ofconcrete and is provided with hatches or charging openings 1() atintervals along its top normally closed by hatch covers 111 An inclinedtrack 12, mounted on and other supports 14 anchored in the river bed,extends from below the low water level line 7 to or beyond the highwater level 8.

A boat-unloading device such as an unloading crane or tower 15 has awheel-truck 16 mountedto travel on the track 12.v This unloading devicemay beof any suitable constructionV and is shown as an unloading towerhaving an overhanging frame 1 uponwhich a'traveler 18 moves out over4the lcargo boat 19 so that the bucket 20'for handling bulk material,generally a clamshell bucket, may be lowered to receive its load, thenraised and moved with the traveler to deposit its load into a hopper 21,from whence the material. falls onto an endless 4conveyor 22 having avchute 23 at,

itsouter end, the outer end of the conveyor being so placed as to causethe' chute to deposit the material through one of the hatches -10 intothe tunnel where it fallsl upon an endless belt conveyor 24 .in thetunnel and is carried thereby to the upper end of the tunnel.

The conveyor 22 is preferably one that v may be moved bodily withrespect to the -tower as shown by the dotted and full line positions inthe drawings.

The conveyor belt 24 runs over suitable .pulleys 25 and 26 in the tunneland is supported intermediate its ends by sets of idler pulleys orrollers 27 and 28. From the upper end of the tunnel the materialdelivered by the conveyor 23 may be taken care of in any suitabe manner,as, for instance, by means of an. elevating conveyor 29, de-

livering it to a tipple 30 of usual construc `that the material may becarried up on the conveyor in the tunnel to the upper end and then takento the desired place of deposit. As shown, the boat-unloading device isin a position for unloading at low water level.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limitedt6' any specific n far as such limitations are specified in the claims.i

l/Vht I'claim as my invention is:

l. An apparatus for unloading bulk material from boats on bodies ofAWater subject to changes in Water level, comprising an inclined tunnelextending yfrom va position adj acentloxv Water level to a positionabove higher Water levels,n said tunnel. having openings at intervalsalong its length, a boat-unloading .device movable with respect to thetunnel-fordischarging ,material taken from-the boat into yone. ofsaidopenings above thevfater level prevailing atthat time,meansfonclosingA suchv openings as'may be under Water, and means Withinthe tunnel for moving material deposited therein to the rupper end ofthe tunnel.

2. An apparatus forV unloading bulk ma .terial fromboats on bodies of`Water,subject Yto changes in Waterlevel, rcomprising `an inclined Ytunnel extending from a j position adjacent loW Water leveltoa positionabove higher- Waterflevels, said tunnel having openings atf intervals`along its length, a boatlmloading .deviceA movable with respect to the.tunnelqfor discharging'material taken from the boat into one `ofsaidopenings above Ithe Water level prevailing at that time, means forclosing such openings to the tunnel as may beunder Water, and anendlessconveyor Within the tunnel for mov ing the 'materialdepositedtherein to the upper endlof the tunnel.

3. An apparatus for unloading bulk material from boats on bodies ofWater subject to changes in Water level, comprising an inclined tunnelextending from a position adjacent lo\v Water level to a position abovehigher Water levels, said tunnel having openings at intervals along itslength, a track adjacent the tunnel, a boat-unloading device movable onsaid track for depositing ma terial received from the boat into one ofSaid openings above the Water level prevailing at that time,. means Jforclosing such openings. as may be ,under Water, and means Within thetunnel for moving the material deposited. to the upper endnof thetunnel.

4. An apparatus for unloading bulk material from boats on bodies ofWater subject to changes in Water level, comprising yan inclined tunnelextending from a position adjacent loiv Water` level to a position abovehigher Water levels, said tunnel having openings at intervals along its.length, a track adjacent thetunnel, a boat-unloading device movableonsaid track and including a bucket, hopper and conveyor for depositingmaterial received from the boat into oneoi` said openings above theWater level-prevailing at the time, means for closing such openmgs asmay be under Water, and an endless belt conveyor Within the tunnel formoving THOMAS s. WATSON.

